It was such a pleasant morning, that we decided to have a wander around the village and take a few photos of the autumn colours. All that exercise and fresh air built up a thirst for a bottle of wine made in the village.
Saturday was our village wine fête, and even though the weather was overcast the rain held off. The speech to kick it off was meant to start at 11.30am and finish at 12noon, so we headed to the village centre at 12noon on the dot, and low and behold the speech was still going and it lasted for another 30 minutes.
We had a quick browse around the few market stalls that were there for the occasion, and caught the end of the speech which involved the ceremonial planting of a vine which was dusted with sulfur, which was rather pagan, to say the least.
Speech over we popped into the café for a palate cleansing cold beer, then a short walk to the schoolyard to partake of the complimentary food and wine on offer. Yakked for a bit with some friends, while necking a 
couple of glasses of Domaine Lerys Rivesaltes, and then back to the café to check that the beer was still fresh! It was!
The event also included a meal in the evening and a live band who were due to perform outside the Cave Co-Op, but a thunder storm meant the music was cancelled. The cancellation of the music was not a bad thing for us, given that the Cave is just on the other side of the river from our house, and the volume of the music makes our windows rattle and more often than not it goes on late into the night. It was a shame for the people who were looking forward to a night of music and dancing though.
Just Finished Reading
The Secret Speech by Tom Rob Smith
I blew hot and cold reading this novel. It is very gruesome in parts, which would be fine if it did not distract the reader from the point being made. That aside it is a very fast paced action novel, with lots of twists and turns that keep you turning the pages. It does stand in the shade of Smiths first novel, Child 44, but forgetting Child 44 this is a fine and entertaining read.
Product Description
Soviet Union, 1956: Stalin is dead. With his passing, a violent regime is beginning to fracture - leaving behind a society where the police are the criminals, and the criminals are innocent. The catalyst comes when a secret manifesto composed by Stalin’s successor Khrushchev is distributed to the entire nation. Its message: Stalin was a tyrant and a murderer. Its promise: The Soviet Union will transform. But there are forces at work that are unable to forgive or forget Stalin’s tyranny so easily, that demand revenge of the most appalling nature. Meanwhile, former MGB officer Leo Demidov is facing his own turmoil. The two young girls he and his wife Raisa adopted have yet to forgive him for his involvement in the murder of their parents. They are not alone. Now that the truth is out, Leo, Raisa and their family are in grave danger from someone with a grudge against Leo. Someone transformed beyond recognition into the perfect model of vengeance.From the streets of Moscow in the throes of political upheaval, to the wintry Siberian gulags and to Budapest, where a revolution will destroy as many innocent lives as the regime it is attempting to end, The Secret Speech is another stunning thriller from the author of the Booker- longlisted Child 44.
About the Author
Tom Rob Smith was born in l979 to a Swedish mother and an English father and was brought up in London where he still lives. He graduated from Cambridge in 2001 and spent a year in Italy on a creative writing scholarship. Tom has worked as a screenwriter for the past five years, including a six-month stint in Phnom Penh storylining Cambodia’s first ever soap. CHILD 44 is his first novel.
Spring is here at long last. The village and surrounding countryside is now full of bloom. Villeneuve les Corbieres sure comes to life at the start of spring, as you turn every corner, you are greeted with a small explosion of colour.
Tags: Villeneuve les Corbieres
It’s been raining here for days now, this morning the sky cleared but by the time I’d made a coffee, the clouds had returned in force. When the weather is like this, all I want to do to sit in front of the fire with a good book and a hot drink. Needless to say, once the weather takes a turn for the worse, there is always some reason or other to be forced out into the rain and wind.
After many months, the new bridge looks like it’s making progress and may even be open before the end of the year!!!!!! At the rate the works progressed (or not) it reminds me of how things happen in the Third World and not in Europe.
Now the nights are drawing in, it is time for a big (10 books) order to be placed with Amazon. I’ve been out of the reading groove of late and have been just rereading books I’ve enjoyed in the past and even they have felt like a slog at times. The post lady must be pleased I’ve not had a book delivery for a good while. She is the one who has the carry the box of 10 hardback books to our front door. I hope she’s been keeping fit because in a week or 2 she will resume the weight lifting!!!
Autumn is well into its stride now and the landscape is painted in the most wonderful golds, oranges, pinks and reds and on the plus side the days are still very warm, in fact so warm we can still have the windows open.
Fingers (and toes) crossed, it looks set to be a short mild winter. This should compensate in some way for the rather dull summer that we’ve had this year. It would be nice to spend Christmas day down at the beach.
Tags: Autumn
The Rallye Cathare hit the Corbieres today. I popped up the the main road at 9am to shot a few cars passing through Villeneuve les Corbieres and then a bit later drove down to Durban Corbieres to catch the pit action. It looked like rain this morning, but god must be a petrol head because the weather cleared and was a pleasant warm day. It was enjoyable but kept reminding me of a Saturday night in a Tesco (supermarket) car park. Must be because of all of the major motor sports events I’ve been to! That said, I do enjoy grassroots motor sport. People do it just for pleasure and are willing to share that pleasure with others.
THE PHOTOS
Click below images for a larger and fuller version.
These are a lots more photos and they will be added to my websites http://www.villeneuve-les-corbieres.com and http://durban-corbieres.the-world-in-focus.com before the end of the month.
THE VIDEO
Tags: Durban Corbieres, Rallye Cathare, Villeneuve les Corbieres
The clouds have settled over the village imparting a vile damp mist that leaves everything felling sticky. Now old age is creeping up on me I can fell the weather in my bones. Time to go and search for a India Sun Dance on Google I think!!!!!
Tags: Villeneuve les Corbieres
The grape harvest is well under way here in Villeneuve les Corbieres. The cave (Cave Pilote) across the river re-opened this year after closing 5 years ago. It is now most relaxing to sit outside pre-lunch and watch the tractors trundle past on the other side of the river with the grape laden trailers.
Polish grape pickers have replaced the Portuguese workers who used to turn up at harvest time and even they are getting fewer now that more and more automated wine picking machines are being used to help reduce costs and free up the property that is used to house migrant workers.
Dave the Donkey and friend
Dave the Donkey lives under the Pont Neuf and is not pressed into working for a living. Rather like someone else I could mention 
Vines and Villeneuve les Corbieres
Weather wise it been a very poor year, so it will be interesting to see what this years wine turns out like. My betting would be that it will be rather dull and lacking the depth that is created with our normal hot, dry and sunny summers. Still in the spirit of fairness I will have to try a few bottles of it upon release.
Tags: Corbieres Wine, Grape Harvest, Villeneuve les Corbieres
This afternoon I dragged my tired old bones up into the vineyards that surround Villeneuve les Corbieres and shot a bit of video and snapped a few pics. In a few weeks these grapes will be turned into wine and find its way into my glass
Tags: Aude, Corbieres, Fitou, Languedoc, Villeneuve les Corbieres, Wine Corbieres
Well not the village but the website http://www.villeneuve-les-corbieres.com . I was bored with the old look and over the weekend changed it and also added a few new photos and videos. I stripped a good bit of the fluff from it and made it more easy for me to add new content.
Villeneuve les Corbieres during the Tour de France
Tags: Villeneuve les Corbieres, Website
There’s a new bridge in town, so shut the **** down.
O.K. so town is a bit of a stretch for a place with a population of just over 200 people, but Villeneuve les Corbieres is growing fast.
Just after lunch today, the villages 4th bridge was manoeuvered into place over the river, which runs along the front of our house.
I reckon this bridge will get at least 5 people crossing it each day.
Given that, as now, the river is dry, and is for 10 months of the year, this new bridge is definitely a luxury item because it is only a couple of minutes walk to use either of the other 2 other bridges that cross this stretch of the river.
I wonder if it is a world record to have one bridge for every 55 residents?
As it is just outside our front door, we both watched the new bridge taking life while we filmed and snapped all the action.
I know we need to ‘get out more’ but a new bridge is a very big thing in a tiny village like ours.
The Video
The Photos
Tags: Bridge, New, Nuef, Pont, Villeneuve les Corbieres
It feels like living in a Goldfish bowl at the moment. Not a day goes past without some tourists pausing outside our house for a look. I don’t mind apart when when I’m relaxing on the terrace. The terrace is shielded in part by plants, so I have to listen to the tourists prattle on, without them knowing that I’m there. Today a group of about 10 people stopped outside our house for a gander, and a couple of the younger ones even decided to have a nose in our car windows, saying ‘Blah Blah Blah’ Sport ‘Blah Blah Blah’ Sport. This did not make for a relaxing breakfast cigarette that’s for sure.
Tags: Corbieres, France, tourists, Villeneuve les Corbieres
Yesterday I posted photos of the riders and a video, so today it is the turn of the publicity wagons, of which there was more then a few! Now al I need to do is add them to my village website http://www.villeneuve-les-corbieres.com/
After much editing, the video is here. Lots of foreplay before seconds of the riders flying through Villeneuve les Corbieres. It was amazing how fast it was. The race passed in a blink of an eye.
We got the freebies, we got the photo’s, we even got some video, and all a mere few metres from our home.
We spent a couple of hours sitting in the sun, drinking beer, just to see about 15 seconds of the Tour de France riders as they whizzed past.
Would I do it again? Oh yes. It was good fun. We now have a bag of tat. What do you do with half a dozen key rings and hats?
The Leaders
The Rest!!!!!
Watch this space. I’m working on the video and it will be online before midnight for your viewing pleasure.
Tags: Corbieres, Tour de France, Video, Villeneuve les Corbieres
